‘MR MAYOR, WHERE IS THE WATER?’
Residents from the city cluster were united over political and racial boundaries when they conveyed their dismay about the city’s drawn-out water crisis at a public meeting hosted at a filled to capacity Jack Botes Hall on Monday evening.
Polokwane Mayor John Mpe had to take over the microphone from programme director Joosuf Pemma on multiple occasions in an effort to calm down irate residents and to prevent the meeting from ending in chaos. The city’s law enforcement personnel had their hands full to constrain members of the audience later in the meeting.
Mpe gave a brief history of the water history of the city, stressing that the fact that water also had to be provided to residents along the parameters of the main supply line, contributed to the shortage of capacity.
He alluded to the challenges experienced as a result of Lepelle Northern Water’s (LNW) apparent failure to supply bulk water and the effect that load-shedding had on consistent service delivery.
During the question-and-answer session, speaker after speaker reiterated that it is residents’ Constitutional right to have a sustainable supply of potable water and that it is the local authority’s legal obligation to provide water.
“We are paying a basic levy for the availability of water and if we do not pay, our services are terminated although we receive no value for our money. We have to buy water if and where it is available and it is time for us to take a firm stand and withhold payment,” a resident warned.
Another speaker said that it is now time for Mpe to get rid of officials who are paid huge salaries and not delivering.
“It will take us no nearer to a solution if the municipality keeps on blaming LNW or Eskom. If the bulk suppliers fail to deliver in accordance with their service level agreements, there should be consequences,” a resident remarked.
In reply, Mpe announced that a dedicated water crises helpline with a dedicated team will be established at the call centre from where water truck requests and water enquiries will operate on a reference number.
The helpline will be in operation by this weekend. Five additional water trucks will be allocated to the City Cluster and water trucks will be fitted with tracking devices to determine their whereabouts and the routes to and from water points.
In terms of bulk water supply, Mpe said that the Olifantspoort Water Treatment
Plant will no longer be affected by loadshedding and that repairs to the Dalmada Water Treatment Plant will be completed by tomorrow (September 29), providing an additional 4,1 megalitres of water per day.
At Dalmada a generator will be provided with immediate effect to ensure uninterrupted power supply.
“Lepelle Northern Water will be penalised for not supplying water in accordance with their service level agreement when we receive their next invoice,” Mpe assured.
“We need to save water. We are still short of 32 megalitres daily and all water projects will get the highest attention. Major water projects that will have a significant influence on water supply to the City of Polokwane will be completed by December 2022,” Mpe said.
Closing the meeting, Mpe said that the concerns and input from residents had been noted with appreciation.
“We will work on it and keep residents posted on our progress,” Mpe assured.